Mix Ups
by SeaLover456
Summary: First, mix together mages, bounty hunters, conspiracies, and gangsters. Then add vampires, werewovles, OC's, and Alter!FMA characters. After stirring, insert the final ingrediant: one vampire Ed. Nonsense ensured, action garunteed. AU
1. Sample

I'm so totally bored. Therefore, I'm making this fanfic. I have no idea how it will turn out, but I'm bored, so who cares? If you're crazy enough, read (and if you're a madman/supermodel/doggy, review). Oh yes, I'm so totally bored.

Disclaimers: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist or anything else that might appear here. If I did, you would notice.

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It was a normal day for a normal, medium-paid conductor. Passengers bustled out of an old steam train, running in every which direction. Two particular passengers, however, did not leave the train, even though the train had made its last stop for the day.

"Excuse me," said the conductor, "but aren't you two going to leave with the rest of the passengers?"

"No, I don't think so," said one of the two people left behind. He wore a red coat over a black shirt with black pants, and had braided blonde hair accenting _(beautifully, I might say) _his piercing golden eyes.

"But sir, this is the last stop for today," said the patient conductor.

"WHAT?" cried the blonde-haired boy. He glanced at a crumpled paper held in his hands. "Isn't the next stop a town called Baka?" he asked the conductor _(Oh yes, there is a reason to the name.)_

"Oh, that place," said the conductor, realization lighting his eyes. "I'm afraid the train doesn't pass by there anymore."

The boy cursed under his breath, with only the words "Mustang" and "bastard" reaching the conductor's ears. The said person raised his eyebrows, surprised that such a young _(cough) _person could speak so fluently.

The blonde-boy sighed. "Fine, we'll get off here then. Coming Al?" cried the boy, getting up. The second passenger, a huge man _(double cough)_ in steel armor, turned his helmet head towards the boy. "Coming, brother," he said, straightening into his towering height. He had to stoop a little because he was so big, but it was in vain.

"MY CEILING!" cried the conductor, his usual steel calm broken by the squeals and screeches of the helmet's spikes on oak wood.

The man in the armor might have apologized, but the conductor was sobbing too loudly for him to have heard it at all.

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THIS IS NOT A ONE SHOT! After a few days of thinking, I have decided to continue with this fanfic. For those of you waiting for me to continue with my other fanfics, a certain Tsubasa one in particular, then I must say that I have grown obsessed with Fullmetal Alchemist right now and that you must sadly wait for me to grow obsessed with Tsubasa again.

That was long. I'll end with a little guessing game. WHO IS IN THE LITTLE BORDER THAT I HAD MADE AND WHAT IS HE/SHE/IT/WHATEVER IT IS DOING?


	2. Chickens

Hi there! Now that I've thought about this fanfic more, I have a pretty definite plot. But, I'm sort of in a pickle. I've always wanted to do a FMA/HP fanfic, and this beginning seems to be a good start. But I also have this really original idea that people might like. To give you a hint, it includes vampires and alternate dimensions. (I just love those things!) Okay, maybe not so original, but I bet it'll be a hit! And the FMA/HP fanfic wouldn't be so bad either…

Anyway, when you review, please tell me what you would prefer. This fanfic is still sketchy, but with you help, it'll be great!

Disclaimers: I don't own any FMA characters, just the plot and my own OC's.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

A wagon strolled off into the distance, its load of hay swaying in the afternoon wind. On the station that the wagon had just left, two people, one wearing a red overcoat and one wearing a suit of armor, stared at the retreating form of the wagon. Nearby the two was a sign with the word "Baka" in yellow faded letters. The suit of armor spoke up.

"It's hard to imagine," he said, "that you can't get a train to this village. It seems busy enough." That was true. The sounds of bustling people could be heard from the station.

"I know," answered the boy in the red coat. "I wonder why." Turing towards the village, he stopped. Then stared. In front of him was a woman holding a basket of lollipops in her arms. She was normal enough, wearing a plain green dress and tying her brown hair into a ponytail. But, most interesting enough, she had tied a live chicken to her head. Yes, that's right. A live and very agitated chicken.

"HALLO!" she shouted. "I BID YOU ALL A GOOD LOLLIPOP!" And with that, she threw a lollipop at Edward, noisily spat down into the ground, and walked off.

"Okay, that was weird," remarked the boy named Ed. He was startled, and very confused, but nonetheless calm. The armor thought otherwise.

"DID YOU SEE THAT POOR CHICKEN?" he screamed at his brother. "WHAT WAS THAT WOMAN THINKING, TYING A CHICKEN TO HER HEAD!" (Apparently, he feels just the same way about chickens as cats.)

"Calm down, Al," said Ed, sweatdropping. "She's probably just a poor, harmless lunatic. I'm sure we'll see some normal people at the village."

He was very wrong.

When the two brothers reached the market square, they were greeted by a mob of people wearing chickens on their heads. To say at the least, they were ecstatic to meet them.

"HALLO! HALLO! HALLO! WE BID YOU ALL GOOD LOLLIPOPS! COME AND WEAR SOME FEATHER HATS WITH US! HALLO!" The mob hollered their greetings to the visitors, all the while showering them with lollipops and spitting onto the now very wet ground.

Ed was shoved roughly about by the mob, due to his short stature (Ed: Hey!). He called for his brother to help, but Al was too busy being distressed over the chickens to assist him. "THOSE POOR CHICKENS!" he would yell whenever someone fell on their heads (which were quite often, as they were idiots). The mob, being lunatics, didn't notice their discomfort. Ed and Al had to elbow their way through the huge throng. Eventually, they reached the other end of the village, deciding that the only way to escape the idiots was to leave.

"Damn it! What the hell's wrong with those people!" yelled Ed, now grumpy from his encounter. "They should be locked up in an asylum!"

"At least we know why the train doesn't come here," said Al soothingly. His distress over the chickens was over, turning him back into the mild younger brother that he was.

"Anyways," said Ed, "we need to find Mustang's person quickly, so that we can continue searching for the Philosopher's Stone."

"Right," said Al. The two brothers started to walk up the mountain before them.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

The sun was hot, beating down on Ed and Al. It made Ed irritated. Very irritated. And it didn't help that he was climbing up a steep mountain.

"Brother, why are we here again?" asked Al. Ed grumbled, but took out the crumpled piece of paper again and read it out loud. It said this:

_To: The Fullmetal Alchemist,_

_In the military's name you are ordered to find the scientist Miss Helen Arthur and question her on her scientific research. The said person is currently residing in the mountains north of the village "Baka"._

_-Colonel Mustang._

"Damn that bastard!" yelled Ed. "Who does he think he is, sending us off on another mission!" Ed continued to rant, while Al peacefully tried to calm him down. Unfortunately for Al, Ed was working himself into a heat. Remembering the hustle back at the village, his tantrum grew.

Suddenly, Al heard a small grumbling above them. "Quiet down, brother!" yelled Al, his voice loud enough to hear over Ed's shouting. But it was too late. An avalanche of rocks cascaded down the mountain side, heading towards the two brothers. Ed saw.

"Quick! Get behind me!" yelled Ed, clapping his hands together and shoving it to the ground to form a wall. Al sprinted next to Ed, and leaned against the wall to keep it from collapsing. Ed followed suit.

But it seems that Ed yelled a bit too loudly, because not long after Ed made the wall, the cascade tumbled in. It was too much for the wall to take, and Ed was too busy pushing against the wall to make another one.

The wall broke.

Ed rolled down the mountain alongside the boulders, his body roughly shoved about (much like when the brothers were mobbed by the Idiots). He was battered mercilessly, his skin turning black and blue. After a while, though, his body grew numb, so the pain didn't hurt as much. But he still rolled down, down, down, down, _down_ the mountain. It was a while before he stopped, and when he did, he felt a sickening _crunch_ from his left hand. Needles of pain lanced up his arm, and blackness crawled around the edges of his sight.

"Oh crap," muttered Ed. Then he fainted.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Yes, I know. Most of you readers like nice, long chapters. The way I see it, though, is that I can update more if I make my chapters shorter. Plus, if you ever need to stop and get off the computer in the middle of a chapter, it wouldn't take long for you to find your place.

Anyhow, please tell me what kind of fanfic you want. Another FMA/HP crossover, which I promise will be original, or a Science meets the Supernatural fanfic, with Ed as a vampire? Please review and tell me!


	3. Avalanche

Wow. It's been only a day, and already I'm getting reviews. Yay! I'm so happy! XD

Since I've got so many reviews who want my Ed-As-A-Vampire fanfic, I'll start working on it. Don't worry, I won't make this a yaoi or a Mary Sue. The Helen Arthur that I mentioned before will have a very definite, non-fangirl character, even if she's from our world…

I feel I've said too much. Now, on with the show!

Disclaimers: I don't and shall never, ever, ever, ever, _ever_ own Fullmetal Alchemist… (sob)

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Al looked with horror as Ed tumbled down the mountain side. "BROTHER!" he yelled, his armor reverberating from the avalanche. Behind him was his portion of the wall; still intact, unlike Ed's, and he was keeping his own. For now.

Immediately, Al pushed away from the wall, hoping to catch his brother. But in the time he walked two steps, the rest of the wall broke away, allowing the rest of the avalanche to shower on the younger brother. The rocks were huge, and Al was in the wrong position to jump away. The boulders knocked him down, piling upon him.

Al was buried 5 feet deep under the heavy boulders before he heard the rumbling stop. He tried to get out, but couldn't. And sadly, there were some things that alchemy couldn't change.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

_There is a world that neighbors ours, where creatures of the supernatural exist. They live separate to us normal humans, hidden from our very sight. Magic-users, like magicians and psychics, could see them as they saw us, and use their powers upon them. Feared and despised, these creatures of the night stayed in hiding, anger at the humans brewing deeply within their souls._

_There is also a legend there, passed by ear and never written. The Dragon's Stone, it was called; said to have mysterious powers. A power that could change the world._

_Most people didn't believe it. They thought the Stone was a myth, nothing real. But others would search for it all their lives, believing the Wizard's Stone would grant their wishes. These were the people who put their life at stake, and trudged forward with an iron will. These were the ones who discovered the truth…_

_And so the race for power begins._

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Hours passed by with slow agony.

Al kept thinking about his brother, hoping against hope that he would be all right. Worry gnawed at him; he strongly felt that it would be his fault if Ed was hurt too badly. Al would sometimes make an attempt to push away the rocks, but they were too heavy to lift. He would also try to reach for his chalk pocket, to pull the rocks away with alchemy, but both of his arms were out of reach. "Someone has to come by!" the suit of armor thought. "Or else brother will be…" He didn't want to continue that thought.

Al was in the middle of trying for the hundredth time to lift the boulders when he heard some scuffling noise above him. Immediately he became still, straining his (ahem) ears to see if someone was there. It was, along with some muffled voices.

"Are you sure those two people went by here?" asked one voice.

"Yes," said another. "I remember them because one was grey, while the other was red and yellow. Those are very unusual colors, for my village." "_Colors_?" thought Al. The shuffling stopped.

Someone whistled. "There must have been an avalanche here," said the first voice. Al guessed it to be female, but it was too soft for him to tell.

"Tell me, Mum, what's an avalanche?" said the second voice. Al twitched. The second voice sounded very deep, the voice of a big man in his prime. And yet here was this person acting like he was eight!

"Not now, Teddy," answered the first voice. "We have to find these people first." It was then that Al decided to try to catch the two people's attention. He lifted himself with all his might, hoping the rocks above him would move at least a little. He received good results.

Someone gasped. "Teddy, I think the two strangers are buried underneath here!" cried the first voice. "We have to dig them out! Get the villagers; we'll need all the help we can get!"

"But what should I say to them, Mum?" asked the second voice.

The first voice sighed exasperatedly. "Tell them… that there's some buried treasure here," said the first voice.

"Oh, really!" cried the second voice excitedly. "Are there any lollipops?"

"Just GO!" shouted the first voice. Al heard more shuffling, and someone lifting the smaller rocks above him.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Guess what? I actually finished this a day after the second chapter! Congratulate me! (Ego grows) And thanks so much for all the reviews! The make me feel so happy inside! Keep them coming!

fishy


	4. Festival

Well, here it is. It took a while, but I finally did it. On a side note, I'm setting up a limit for chapter sizes. So for now on, all my chapters will be at least 1500 words long. I hope you like this one!

BIG GIANT HONKER NOTE! I have made some changes near the end of this chapter. Hopefully you'll like them: I sure did.

Disclaimers: I don't and will never own Fullmetal Alchemist… (sob)

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Ed woke up, groaning. Every fiber in his body was screaming from pain, causing him wince when he sat up. With careful slowness he stood up, bracing himself against a nearby boulder. A sharp pain lanced up his left arm. Ed looked down at his hand, remembering the sickening crunch he felt during the fall. The hand looked broken, almost mutilated, but thankfully it was entering the stage of cold numbness.

"Damn," he muttered, panting heavily from the pain. His body screamed for him to rest. But Ed knew better. He had to find Al, and soon, or else he (Al) would scream at him for making him worry. Fixing a splint to his hand, he set out for the top of the mountain. Suddenly, he heard a low growl behind him. He peeked behind his shoulder.

A pack of wolves, twelve in all, paced slowly and menacingly towards the short alchemist. Their fur bristled, their hackles raised at their prey. They looked skinny, almost starving, giving them a look that was all the more menacing. And their eyes were a glowing red. "Damn," said Ed darkly, quickly transmuting his metal arm into a sword. "Not now!"

The wolves attacked.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

This is a little side story I'm making so that I can pass time. Here it goes.

Once upon a time there was a cat named Random. Random was the queen of cats. She wanted to become a human. So, dabbling in the study of alchemy (I don't know how she learned to read), she transmuted herself a beautiful human girl body and put her soul in it. She renamed herself Mary Sue. Then, she met Edward, and seduced him until he fell in love with her and married her. The end.

Suddenly, Neko-Queen-o-Randomness (a.k.a Random) woke up from her dream. It was a very strange dream. She was the queen of cats, and she made herself human and made Ed fall in love with her. She shuddered. It was a horrible nightmare, in her opinion. Except for marrying Ed. That was good. (Neko-Queen-o-Randomness: Yay! I love it!)

(AN: This is all very weird, I know, but I friend wanted a part in one of my fanfics.)

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Boulder after boulder was carted away by the strong, yet idiotic villagers. Under the careful eye of a sensible looking woman, the damage from the avalanche slowly disappeared. The woman was a skinny looking teenager, about 15 or 16, who wore wide-framed glasses and had her wavy red hair up in a simple ponytail. A plain blue dress hung loosely over her tall frame, and a staff with intricate carvings was grasped firmly in her hand.

Suddenly, a group of workers broke away from their work and walked over to the lady. "Look, Mum!" they shouted to her. "We found a talking stone buried under here!"

"Oh really?" asked the woman with interest. She glanced down, and blinked. Even though there was still some layers of soil left to clean up, she could easily distinguish what looked like a piece of metal jutting up from a crevice in the boulders. "Why did they say the metal was talking?" thought the lady. Suddenly, the metal moved, and with an explosion of rocks and dust, a suit of armor jumped up. The woman was startled.

"AAAHHH!" shouted the woman, jumping away.

"I'm free!" shouted the suit of armor. "Now I need to find brother!" And with that the suit of armor sprinted down the mountain.

It took a few moments for the lady to recover herself. When she did, she jumped up and ran towards the armor with her staff at hand.

It took a while for the lady to catch up with her quarry, as she was not a fast runner. But the armor stopped often, lifting heavy rocks to look under them and calling out for his brother. "Hey!" she would shout from time to time. But the armor seemed too distressed to hear her. After a while, the lady finally caught up to him, her face dripping with sweat. The armor noticed her. "Hello," he said politely. "I'm sorry, but have you seen my brother?" It was at that moment that the lady spotted a figure far below them slowly climbing up the mountain. She pointed, seeing if the armor would recognize it.

The suit gasped. "Brother!" it yelled, racing down the mountain side. "Al!" said the figure, quickening its step.

"Brother!" cried the armor once more. Squeezing the stranger in a bear hug, he ignored the cries of pain. "I was so worried!" The armor said.

"Al, could you quit squeezing me into a pulp?" shouted the stranger. The armor, Al, released him. The woman then decided it was time to interrupt.

"Excuse me!" shouted the woman, running towards the two. "Are you two the visitors who…" she stumbled. The newcomer was a boy, with braided blonde hair and sharp gold eyes. Though his red coat hid it well, blood was drenching his figure.

"Blood…" whispered the woman, swaying. Her face slowly turned pale. Al noticed the blood, and gasped. "Brother! You're hurt!"

"I'm fine, Al," replied the boy. "I just met up with some weird wolves."

"Wolves?" whispered the woman, swaying all the more. "Did you say wolves?"

The boy noticed the lady. "Hey, who are you?" he asked. The lady impatiently stamped her staff on the ground. "Were there any wolves!" she cried impatiently.

"Yeah," said the boy, looking offended. "They attacked me at the bottom of the mountain. Now answer my question."

"Did they bite you?" asked the woman quickly. She anxiously fingered her staff. The boy thought.

"No," he replied slowly. "Now will you please answer my question?" The lady looked relieved. "Alright," she said. "My name is Helen Arthur. I live around here."

"So you're person we're looking for!" exclaimed the blonde. "My name is Edward Elric. This is my brother Alphonse." The armor waved.

"Hello," he said. Helen nodded absently, deep in thought. Ed watched as she gently rubbed her staff. Up, down, up, down. The motion made Ed feel sleepy, or was it the fight that tired him out? Ed's mind was too hazy to think it through.

Helen broke the silence. "This may seem sudden," said the woman, "but do you two want to come to the festival tonight?"

"There's a festival?" asked Al eagerly.

"Yes," answered Helen. "At least, there will be."

The two boys looked at each other. "Why not?" said Ed. "But we'll have to treat my arm first." He lifted his hand. In one glance Helen's face turned from pale to green. She nodded quickly, and with a quick pace set off for the town. The boys followed.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

While Ed's arm was treated by a kindly doctor, Helen set off making the preparations. It didn't take long. After a few quick words with some important families, the townspeople grouped together and set up the stalls. Minutes after the three's arrival, the main street of the town was filled with brightly colored banners and food-filled stalls. Ed's stomach grumbled with the smell of dinner.

After the preparations were complete, the villagers waited excitedly for the start of the festival. As the crowd lingered anxiously, a few men set up a platform, and a man with a big, bursting belly stepped up. Taking in a deep breath, he paused, and with a deep, booming voice, yelled, "LET THE FESTIVAL BEGIN!" The crowd cheered, throwing lollipops in the air.

In a way, the festival was fun. The villagers were surprisingly musical, and the food was delicious. Everyone was in a happy mood, even the two newcomers, and they sang and dance and drank until they couldn't walk straight. The feeling of joy was infectious. Eventually, the celebrating died down, and everyone rested their aching bellies.

Helen found Ed sitting next to a dumpling stand with his swollen stomach exposed. Standing next to him was Al, who was scolding Ed for eating too much. Ed was to busy moaning to take much notice.

"You know, you really shouldn't have eaten those pork ribs," said Al.

"My stomach…" groaned Ed.

"And I think the 15 meat buns were a little too much."

"The pain…"

"Also, don't go off slurping a dozen ramen bowls at once next time. It's not good for you."

"It hurts…" Ed collapsed, falling asleep from all the food.

"He looks like he had a good time," remarked Helen.

"Oh! Hello Miss Arthur," greeted Al.

"Please, just Helen," said the girl. Digging inside her pocket, she brought out a bottle of amber liquid and tossed it to Al. "Give this to him when he's awake. It should help his hand get better."

"Thank you!" exclaimed Al, bowing his head to further his statement. Helen seated herself next to him and snuggled in the best she could.

For a while they looked at the stars, twinkling oh so nicely above, when a question popped up in Helen's mind. "Hey Alphonse," said Helen, "why did you and your brother come here to this little village?"

"Well, actually," answered Al. "We came here to find you, so we could study your research."

"Research?" asked Helen, cocking her eyebrow in confusion. "Like a scientist? But I'm not a scientist at all."

"WHAT?" Ed sat up from the ground, anger marks brewing on his forehead. "What do you mean, you're not a scientist?"

("Brother, you're awake?" asked Al. "But you just ate a dozen ramen bowls...") (AN: This would be sort of like a... smaller dialogue. Like those tiny words outside the speech bubbles in manga.)

"Ex, exactly what I said," said Helen, a bit startled from Ed's sudden outburst. "The only scientific thing about me is my interest in reading. I have no knowledge at all in things like trigonometry or Einstein's theory on relativity."

"Eh?" said Ed.

"Oh wait, that comes later, doesn't it?" remarked Helen. "Sorry, forget relativity, it's just a little joke of mine." A thought struck the girl. "Hey," she said. "Why don't you two stay at my place? I have room, and it's much better than the hut they call an inn here." She jerked her thumb at a small, wooden shack across the street. The windows were boarded up, and the wind howled through the cracks in the walls. A small sign proclaiming "IN" in large block letters swung on a rusty chain. Next to it was a dumpster, filled with leftover food from the festival.

"Let's go," the two brothers said in unison.


	5. Beginning

**BIG GIANT HONKER NOTE!** I have made some changes in Chapter 4. Major changes. You cannot read this chapter and understand it unless you look back at Chapter 4.

**Disclaimers**: I don't and shall never own Fullmetal Alchemist, no matter how many magic books I buy.

The room was big, because the Master didn't like small spaces. It was also cold, and very, very dark. But even with the room furnished to his liking, he still wasn't happy.

For years, he had searched for the Dragon's Stone. And for years it escaped his grasp. The goal seemed hopeless, and yet, he couldn't give up. Not yet. All the money he invested, all the time he spent… he couldn't let it go to waste. No, there had to be a way.

He told himself this repeatedly, yet the feeling of hopelessness still prevailed. It made him irritable.

A shift in the darkness of the doorway caught his eye. Stealthily a dark shadow flitted through the door and kneeled in front of the Master. It was hard to look at him, as it looked like the very darkness draped his form. Staring at him was like staring at a man-shaped void.

"My lord," whispered the shadow-man. "I have interesting news."

"Be quick about it," snapped the Master. "I'm in a foul mood today."

The shadow-man's throat bobbed. The Master was not a good person when like this. "My, my minions have discovered a Gateway, my lord," said the shadow-man.

The Master smiled at this news. The shadow-man only grew more nervous; the person before him was also known for acting without notice. He trembled.

"Is that all?" asked the Master, his pleasant tones masking the malevolence within.

"Yes, my lord," said the shadow-man.

"Hmmm… You are dismissed," said the Master. The shadow-man breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't die. Turning towards the door, though, the Master stopped him.

"Wait…" commanded the Master. Turning back to the shadow-man, the Master reached deep into his cloak, and- quick as lighting- slashed at the shadow-man's arm with a dagger. The arm dropped off cleanly. The shadow-man gasped, grabbing what was now a stump. Black blood pooled to the floor.

"Don't stutter," said the Master. "I won't stand for failure."

"Yes, my lord," panted the shadow. Gingerly he picked up his arm and flitted out the door.

The Master sat back down on the floor. A grin was still glued to his face, but this time it was genuine. A Gateway, an actual Space-Time Gateway. He could finally continue with his plans.

The pleasure of it all was too great. The Master let out a cackle, loud and deep, that sent chills through any one who heard.

Happy or not, the Master was not one to be trifled with.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

The country of Black is a very unique place. For one thing, it has only one city. For another, the city's borders were the country's borders. The country Black, and the city Black, were one and the same. Black was so huge, and had such a large governing system, that the World Council let it become its own country. Nobody minded; long before the World Council had decided on the matter, people considered it to be a whole world of its own.

Another thing that made Black so unique was that it was the only place on Earth where magic worked. No one knew why, it just did. It was because of this that Black was so huge. People, greedy for the prosperity magic brought, rushed to join the wealthy numbers. The population jumped, people prospered, and the city/country of Black generally became the center of commerce.

Soon, though, the prosperity collapsed upon itself. Gangs were formed in the darkest of places, all dreaming of the same dream: to one day control the wealthy city. Crime wave rose, and the city that once shined in golden wealth crumbled into desolation.

And so we reenter the story…

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

"Nii-san! Nii-san!"

A pearly-white suit of armor raced down the alleyway. Its clanking metal boots echoed on the narrow walls. A white tunic with a red cross on front clung tightly across its chest.

"Nii-san, where are you?" shouted the white armor.

"Up here, Alf." A pale figure wearing a black cloak looked down at his brother from the rooftop. His hair was blonde, cut short to bristle behind his ears. Sunglasses hid his eyes from view. "Come on," he yelled down to his brother.

"Nii-san," answered Alf from the ground. "How am I supposed to get up there without my magic?"

"You could leave the armor," he suggested.

Alf sighed. He couldn't argue; time was pressed. Taking in a deep breath, he relaxed his body, letting all the joints hang loose. Gradually a light mist rose from the helmet. It assembled and compressed itself into a cloud, and then a shape, until the cloud formed a ghostly version of a young boy- only, without legs.

Alf floated up to his brother. Behind him sat the white armor, immobile. "Nii-san," he asked, "why do you have to be so impatient?"

"Who ever said I was impatient?" asked the brother. "Now hurry up. We have a bounty to catch." Turning away from his ghostly brother, the boy leaped away to the next rooftop. The ghost-boy sighed.

"Why do I do these things?" he asked himself as he zoomed off to catch up with his brother.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Moments later Alf caught up with his brother, who was standing silently on the roof. The wind ruffled his cloak, making it snap with impatience. His sunglasses hung loosely on his ears, revealing to the world a set of golden eyes.

Alf floated next to his brother. "Nii-san, could you run slower-"

His brother shushed him. "He's almost here."

Alf nodded in understanding. The bounty they were tailing had a large reward on his head. They couldn't slip-up now and let that kind of money pass by.

It didn't take long for him to come. Before long, a squat, balding man with a crooked nose and thin dry lips walked by. He would have looked as innocent as any other passerby if it weren't for his beady eyes flickering left and right, searching cautiously for something. The brother grinned. He knew what the man was looking for. Him.

Slowly, so as not to bring the criminal's attention on him, the bounty hunter pulled out a single dart. It was sleek and needle-like, with only a grip at the end of the shaft to decorate it. With lightning speed he flicked it at the man's direction.

The dart hit a pipe near his head. A sharp ring resonated, startling the bounty. He jumped away from the sound, then turned sharply from his path to a nearby alley way. The bounty hunter smirked. Trapped like a mouse.

Lightly leaping downfrom the rooftop, the bounty hunter stepped casually across the street and into the alley the criminal had escaped to. It was dark and dank and coated with grime. He could hear the bounty head's footsteps echo in the still air.

He quietly followed the man, making sure to step lightly in the debris and keep to the shadows. The footsteps quickened. He ran faster. Suddenly, a cat screeched from a trash can; its yowl turned into a monstrous rumble from the echoes. The cautious footsteps broke into a run.

_And now the chase begins_, the bounty hunter thought. Throwing caution to the wind he sprinted after the man, quickly shortening the distance. Soon he could hear the criminal's ragged breathe. He could see his cloak fluttering in the wind. It grew closer, and closer, until he was almost on him. A sharp turn came up; the man stumbled around it. The bounty hunter grinned. _Just a little more until I-_

But as he turned 'round the corner, he saw no one there. The man was gone. No where at all, as if he'd vanished from the face of the earth. But the bounty hunter knew better. His prey had cast an Invisibility spell, nothing more. He could easily take care of that. Taking out his sun glasses, he gently slipped them on. A cloud of white mist came to view, with the now visible man standing within it. He stood to the side, sweat cascading down in rivers on his brow.

"I can see you," said the bounty hunter, smiley not-so sweetly at the criminal as he turned to him.

"No, no," stuttered the man. "This can't be real!" He wiped furiously at his brow. "Only mages who gained their Mastery can see through invisibility spells!"

"That doesn't matter now," replied the bounty hunter. "You're finished."

"NO!" Reaching into his cloak, the man brought out a gun and pulled the trigger. There was a bang, followed by a curse.

"Crap!" muttered the bounty hunter, holding his ear. Blood trickled slowly through his fingers. His sun glasses lay on the ground, knocked down by the bullet. Slowly he faced the criminal with venom in his eyes, who stood there looking stunned.

"You're going to pay for that," he whispered. The man just stood there, shaking. The golden eyes that stared at him so angrily were mesmerizing. He couldn't break away. He couldn't...

Before the man knew it, the person who had chased him bit his neck. With sounds of delight (AN: Eww, don't go there...) he sucked greedily at the blood. All his anger ebbed away as the luscious liquid poured down his throat. Blood, delicious blood...

The man felt light-headed. His mind grew blank. Thoughts swirled around his brain in a slow mesh. _Who was this person?_ he thought through his hazy mind. Finally, the bounty hunter was done. With a smack of his lips he stepped away from the criminal, examining his work.

"Thanks for the meal," he said, smirking. "It was delicious."

"Who... who are you?" asked the man, weak from the loss of blood. As the man fell to the ground unconscious, he answered him.

"I am Vedrick Gouhl. Magician, bounty hunter, and... vampire."

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

(fangirl scream) I GOT THE 5TH CHAPTER OUT! Seriously, I thought I would never get it done. I'm so much of a potato, it's not even scary.

Anyways, I thought it was really hard, deciding on a name for Alter!Ed and Alter!Al. Even now it seems a bit… titchy. And writing the chase scene wasn't that fun either. Oh well. It is with highest hopes that you liked this chapter. Keep your fingers crossed for the next!

-fishy


	6. Sneaking

This chapter goes to the Gloomy One, for being the third reviewer of the last chapter. Gloomy One, you rock! I was thinking of redoing the whole entire story- because it sucked _way_ bad- but since you liked it so much, I'll continue it. Cookies for you! (Throws cookies at the Gloomy One.)

Disclaimers: ED'S TALL! Wait, he isn't? Then I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Back to the Elrics.

Helen's house was a strangely built building. The front side was made of the usual sturdy wood boards, with two small curtained windows to the sides of an oak wood door. The wood was painted the standard color of white, while a grey tiled roof sloped gently above. But where the front entrance ended was where the normalcy ended.

Helen's house was a cave.

"I hope my house isn't too strange," said Helen. "I know that most people don't like living in a cave."

"Why here?" asked Ed, curious. "I'm sure the villagers could've built a house for you." (Al already told Ed how Helen ordered the villagers to dig him up.)

Helen blinked. "They wouldn't do that."

"Wouldn't they? They seem to like you very much," said Al.

"Heh." Helen smiled, shaking her head. "I may be liked, but the villagers have it hard already. Besides, I like my home. It's cozy." She pushed through the front door, revealing to the brothers how right she was.

The room was brightly lit, with lamps shining merrily above. A wood table with a flower centerpiece stood quietly at one side. Two bookcases crammed with worn volumes stood at one side, while a comfortable couch dominated the middle room. To the side were two other doors.

"You're welcome to stay in the extra room," said Helen. "Please make yourself comfortable." She opened the next door, revealing a small tidy room with one bed. Al turned to Helen.

"Thank you," he said, bowing. "This is very kind of you."

"Don't mention it," said Helen, waving her hand around distressingly. "I'll enjoy the company. Now, good night."

The two brothers retired to their room, Helen smiling at their backs. The door closed, leaving the strange girl alone in the brightly lit room.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

"I don't know. She seems fishy to me."

"How could you say that, brother? She took us in!"

"But you got to admit, it's strange for a girl living all by herself in the middle of nowhere."

"She's got her reasons, I'm sure of it!"

Ed gave an exasperated sigh. "Fine!" he cried. "But I'm keeping my eye on her." He turned over in his bed and closed his eyes. Moments later his breathing slowed, and he fell asleep. Al stared at his brother's sleeping face, and quietly stood up. Without a creak or sound, the armor exited the room, and closed the door behind him.

It should be pointed out that this was a habit of his. Whenever Ed and Al were staying at a house or hotel, Al would often get bored waiting all night for morning to come. So when the boredom became too unbearable, he would sneak out and find the nearest library. In this case, Al wanted to read Helen's books.

Al lighted a candle and turned to the shelves. The top shelf contained How To books, i.e. How to Farm, How to Teach, How to Live in the Wilderness, How to Fly (Al was puzzled by this one), How to Do Magic, How to Fight. They didn't interest Al much. The next few shelves contained fictional books. Al looked over them disinterested, then stooped to the bottom shelf, which held only three books. One was Helen's journal. The other was a nameless blue volume. The last….

"The Renkinjutsu World?" Al drew the book out of the shelf and thumbed through it. It held a detail map of Amestris, facts on majoring cities, the currency, and many other aspects a tourist would find in a pamphlet on Amestris. _But why did this book call Amestris, "The Renkinjutsu World", and why would Helen have it?_ thought Al. _Could Helen not be from here?_ The question only brought up more questions, making Al all the more confused. He sighed, letting his tumbling thoughts calm in his mind. Like he said, she has her reasons for being here.

A brief gust of wind blew into the room, blowing out Al's candle and leaving the poor boy in the dark. _Drat_, thought Al. He couldn't see a thing.

The door creaked open. Al could hear footsteps padding softly across the room, leaving the house. He paused. It wasn't his brother's footsteps, for sure- there was no alternating clank of automail. That would mean it was Helen. But why would Helen leave her house in the middle of the night?

Al followed her.

Clouds floated over the moon, bathing the world in dim darkness. A light wind rustled the trees, hiding Al's footsteps from prying ears (a.k.a. Helen). The Elric boy didn't know why he stayed hidden. Maybe he didn't want to break Helen's trust, or maybe he truly was suspicious. In the end, Al stayed out of sight and followed Helen to the forest.

They were well in the forest by the time Helen stopped in a clearing. The clouds that screened the moon before floated away, letting the moon bathe the clearing in eerie moonlight. Helen's figure stood waiting in the middle of the clearing. Al watched behind a screen of trees.

Helen moved. In her hand was her staff, hidden from attention until now. She raised it in the air, reflecting the moonlight on its now-glimmering surface, and muttered a few words. Then, with an air of determined concentration, the girl lowered the staff and started drawing a diagram in the dirt. Slowly, as line after line connected, the diagram formed….

Al heard rustling behind him. "What's that girl doing here drawing a transmutation circle?" Ed's head popped up next to Al.

"Brother!" cried Al, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Ed snorted. "I should be saying the same thing," he replied. "I always thought you were up to something at night." He glanced at the spectacle. "So this is what she's hiding. I said she was fishy."

"Should we do something, brother?"

"Don't know. Could be a harmless transmutation. Then again…"

The brothers watched as Helen drew each line with painstaking slowness. Slowly, as the lines connected and the ruins were writ, the familiarization dawned on the two brothers.

_She was drawing a human transmutation circle_.

Helen, finished with her work, sighed, and kneeled down to touch the ruins.

"Hold it right there!" cried Ed. "Helen, stop!" shouted Al. They ran out to the clearing, attempting to stop the girl before she began.

But it was too late. The circle burst into light, illuminating the clearing as energy crackled through the air. A faint humming buzzed, filling the air. Helen looked with eyes wide as Ed, Al, and herself were drowned in a flash of golden light.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Oh man, oh man oh man oh man. That had to be the WORST chapter I've ever written. Sure, it helped move the story along, but it still SUCKED. Don't deny it, it was humorless, dull, and utterly a pain to read (much less write). Hopefully a few of my readers won't think so, but if you have any complaints, don't bother to flame me: I already know.

-fishy


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